When we talk about health, we don’t think of our eye health. But, since our eyes do so much for us every day, they deserve some love, appreciation and care too.
If your eyesight is good now, don’t take it for granted. A few bad lifestyle choices and you’ll be losing your precious eyesight.
But, the reverse is also true. If you make some healthy improvements in your lifestyle and take regular eye tests, you can preserve your eyesight for a long time.
If you don’t know what changes I’m talking about, I’ve made a list to make you understand better.
Take regular eye tests
Your eye health never remains the same. It gets affected by a bad diet or ageing or harmful natural lights.
While you’re making improvements in your lifestyle, it’s also important to make sure that your eyes are in their best health. Thus, you should get regular eye tests to see if everything is fine with your eyes or whether there’s a potential threat.
Regular eye exams not only uncover vision problems but also detect possibilities of underlying health conditions. You can get a free eye test from the NHS or opt for an independent optician who offers this service.
Use sunglasses
Don’t leave your eyes bare when in the sun. You probably know that UV rays are not good for your skin. But, what you don’t know is that the same UV can wreak havoc on your vision too.
Spending too much time in the sun leads to a problem called photokeratitis that’s extremely painful and disturbs your vision for a short while.
The damaging effects of UV exposure will accumulate over time increasing the risk of cataracts and other age-related eye conditions.
Make sure you wear sunglasses when in the sun. Even when you buy prescription glasses online in the UK, the lenses must have UV blocking filters so you don’t have to worry about the sun in case you forget your sunglasses at home.
Eat a healthy diet
What you eat affects your general health. Munching on junk foods and fatty foods is bad for your cardiovascular health. But, what many people don’t realise is that taking a bad diet affects your eye health as well.
Taking a healthy balanced diet can reduce your risk of certain eye conditions such as macular degeneration and dry eyes.
Important nutrients found in citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and oily fish are supportive of your eye health. Also, make it a habit to drink sufficient water during the day so you don’t have to deal with dry eyes.
Use sports glasses
If you’re into sports, use the right type of protective eyewear so you can protect your eyes from harmful environmental factors. For instance, if you’re a cyclist, the high speed of winds can lead to dry eyes or the dust and debris in the wind can enter your eyes.
To prevent such accidents, it’s important to use the right type of sports glasses made for that particular activity. Similarly, if you’re into hiking, choose lens tints that reduce glare and amplify your vision in those bright-coloured landscapes.
Get proper sleep
So much of your health problems can be avoided if you start taking proper sleep. Good sleep will make your eyes feel refreshed and energised for the day. On the other hand, lack of sleep can lead to red, sore, puffy and bloodshot eyes.
If you have a habit of using your smartphone or laptop before you go to bed, quit this habit. The blue light coming from these digital screens messes with the internal clock of your body and make you feel non-sleepy.
Practice eye exercises
There are exercises for your eyes. Well, these exercises won’t make your eyes grow muscles but they’ll sure help in easy focusing and thus better vision.
There are several focus shifting exercises like ‘making an 8 with your eyeballs’ that improve the flexibility of your eyes so they can change focus across different distances and give you a clear vision.
These exercises are important for people who spend most of their time sitting in front of a screen that doesn’t require much focus shifting.
Cut back on alcohol
Too much alcohol in your body affects your liver and reduce the amounts of antioxidants in your body that can protect your eyes from eye diseases. So, if you drink a lot of alcohol, you should watch out for your habit for the sake of your eyes.
These are some of the things that you should start practising on a daily basis to protect your eyes. If you spot unusual changes in your vision, reach out to an eye doctor as soon as possible.
